Gqeberha (South Africa): The Indian eves finished off their group engagements with a five-run win over Ireland in a match of the T20 World Cup here, Monday.
India had scored 155 for the loss of six wickets and in reply Ireland were 54 for two in 8.2 overs when rain interrupted play. At that point of time, Ireland were five runs short of the target of 63 that would have enabled them to win the game.
India thus finished their group engagements with nine points from four games, their only loss coming against England. Thus they sealed a place in the semifinals.
Earlier:
Smriti Mandhana contributed her career-best of 87 in the shortest format as India were able to achieve a total of 155 against the Irish.
Mandhana scored 87 off 56 balls to guide India to a challenging total after opting to bat. The left-hander hit nine boundaries and three sixes during her entertaining knock.
Vice-captain @mandhana_smriti starred with the bat & bagged the Player of the Match as #TeamIndia beat Ireland by 5️⃣ runs (via DLS) to seal a place in the #T20WorldCup semis! 👏 👏 #INDvIRE
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/rmyQRfmmLk pic.twitter.com/GftbVg1W4W
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 20, 2023
Mandhana and Verma gave India a solid start, the duo made 62 runs stand for the first wicket.
Harmanpreet joined Mandhana in the middle, and the two looked to build on a partnership. Playing strokes turned out to be difficult on a surface that appeared to be a bit on the slower side.
The slow nature of the wicket notwithstanding, Mandhana maintained an excellent strike rate and reached her half-century in style, hitting leg-spinner Cara Murray for a six over deep mid-wicket.
Mandhana was lucky to have survive a scare just before getting to her fifty, but Arlene Kelly could not complete the catch after the batter top-edged a tossed-up delivery from Murray towards mid-wicket.
Mandhana then struck two successive fours off Georgina Dempsey, before sending Delany over the cow corner for another maximum.
Ireland came back with the wickets of Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh in successive balls, but Mandhana continued to attack the bowlers and hit two more boundaries off Kelly before giving the same treatment to Delany, striking her for a four and a six to help India inch towards 150.
A century was on the cards, but Mandhana’s brilliant innings came to an end as she tried to take the aerial route.
Jemimah Rodrigues struck two fours in the final over, before getting off in the last ball of the India innings for a 12-ball 19.
Skipper Laura Delany (3/33) was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland.